Open to tie-up with AAP in Delhi but time is running out: Rahul

After over a month of going back and forth over an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of doing a “U-turn” on the alliance.

“An alliance between the Congress and the AAP in Delhi would mean the rout of the BJP. The Congress is willing to give up four seats to the AAP to ensure this,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted.

He added that the doors of the Congress were still open, but the clock was running out. Despite making statements that the Congress was “flexible” to forming alliances across the country, this was the first time that Mr. Gandhi commented on a tie-up with the AAP.

Responding to his comment, Mr. Kejriwal said that talks were still going on between the two parties and asked Mr. Gandhi what “U-turn” he was talking about. “Your tweet shows that an alliance is not your wish but only a pretension. I am pained that you are giving hollow statements,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted.

He added that the main issue at hand was to save the country from the threat of Modi-Shah. “Unfortunately, you are helping Modi by dividing anti-Modi votes in Uttar Pradesh and in some other States,” Mr. Kejriwal added. The Delhi Chief Minister had said on Sunday that AAP was “willing to do anything to save the country from Narendra Modi and Amit Shah and the country is in danger.”

AAP’s offer

The AAP had said that it would agree to a tie-up in Delhi only if the Congress was willing to have a pre-poll tie up in 18 seats that include seven seats in Delhi, 10 in Haryana and one in Chandigarh. All India Congress Committee in-charge of Delhi Congress P.C. Chacko who was leading negotiations with AAP had said that its offer was “not practical”.

Former Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said that the 4-3 seat-sharing arrangement has been arrived at on the basis of the vote share of both parties in 2017 civic polls in Delhi.

The Capital goes to vote on May 12 and the date for the start of filling nominations is April 16.